How to sell your iPhone (and get the best price)

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 29 June 2021

So you want to sell your old iPhone. Great idea! Used iPhones in good condition can command some serious cash on the second-hand market. Some vendors will even give you money for broken devices.

Older iPhone models recently dropped in value thanks to the release of the iPhone 12 family, but that doesn't mean you can't still get a good deal on your old phone. After all, there's no point keeping in your phone just gathering dust.

Here's what you need to do before you sell and how to get the best value.

Step one: Back up your iPhone

Before you go rushing off to turn your iPhone into cash, you'll want to wipe it first. But before you wipe it, you'll probably want to make a backup so that you have it for your next iPhone, if you already haven't moved to a new device.

You can either backup to iCloud, or to a Mac or Windows PC.

iCloud backup

iCloud backup is an easy way to save the contents on your iPhone:

Open the Settings app on your old iPhone
Tap your name
Tap iCloud
Tap iCloud Backup and toggle it on
Tap Back Up Now. You'll need to be connected to WiFi to backup. This same screen will show you the progress and will confirm when the backup is complete
When setting up your new iPhone, choose Restore from iCloud Backup on the Apps & Data screen.

Just be aware that backing up and restoring from iCloud can take much longer than doing so using a computer, even with a fast internet connection. You may also need to pay for iCloud storage. All Apple IDs come with 5GB of free storage, but if your backup is bigger, you'll need to pay if you want to use iCloud to set up your new iPhone. Storage starts at $1.49 per month for 50GB.

iPhone backups don't include the following information:

Content you've bought through Apple
Music or videos synced through Apple
Photos already in the cloud
Fingerprints or facial recognition information
Apple Pay information

They will however transfer the photos and contacts you had saved on your old iPhone to your new iPhone.

You'll also need to redownload your apps, but your new iPhone will have placeholders for everything you had installed on your old device.

PC or Mac backup

Alternatively, you can backup your iPhone to a Windows PC or Mac. On Windows, you'll do this using iTunes.

First, you'll want to make sure iTunes is up to date. You can do this by running the Check for Updates feature. You'll find this under the Help dropdown.

When you're up to date, you'll want to follow these instructions:

Open iTunes and connect your old iPhone to your computer.
If a message asks for your device passcode or to Trust This Computer, follow the on screen steps.
Select your iPhone when it appears in iTunes.
If you want to save Health and Activity data, you'll need to encrypt your backup. You can do this by ticking the Encrypt iPhone backup box. Make sure you pick a password you can remember, because there's no way to access your backup without it. If you don't want to save your Heath and Activity data, you don't need to tick this box.
Press the Back Up Now button. This process can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to an hour, depending on how full your iPhone is.
When this process is finished, unplug your old iPhone, and turn on your new iPhone. Follow the onscreen setup steps until your reach the Apps & Data screen. Select Restore from Mac or PC.
When you have your new iPhone, connect it to the computer you used to back up your old iPhone.
A screen saying Welcome to your new iPhone will appear. Select your most recent backup under the restore from this backup dropdown, and then press Continue.
If restoring from an encrypted backup, enter your password when asked.
Wait for the restore process to finish. Once again, this will take anywhere from a couple of minutes to as long as an hour.

If you're using a Mac, you'll follow similar steps. Apple has however discontinued iTunes on Mac, so instead, you'll do so via Finder.

Open Finder and connect your old iPhone to your computer.
If a message asks for your device passcode or to Trust This Computer, follow the on screen steps.
Select your iPhone when it appears in Finder. It should appear under Locations in the sidebar.
If you want to save Health and Activity data, you'll need to encrypt your backup. You can do this by ticking the Encrypt iPhone backup box. Make sure you pick a password you can remember, because there's no way to access your backup without it. If you don't want to save your Heath and Activity data, you don't need to tick this box.
Press the Back Up Now button. This process can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to an hour, depending on how full your iPhone is.
When this process is finished, unplug your old iPhone, and turn on your new iPhone. Follow the onscreen setup steps until your reach the Apps & Data screen. Select Restore from Mac or PC.
Once you have a new iPhone, connect it to the computer you used to back up your old iPhone.
A screen saying Welcome to your new iPhone will appear. Select your most recent backup under the restore from this backup dropdown, and then press Continue.
If restoring from an encrypted backup, enter your password when asked.
Wait for the restore process to finish. Once again, this will take anywhere from a couple of minutes to as long as an hour.

Step two: Reset your old iPhone

Now that you're all backed up, you need to wipe your information off it by resetting. This part is easy.

The first part of the process is removing your Apple ID from your phone. If you don't do this, whoever you sell it to won't be able to use it. Follow these steps to do so:

Open the Settings app
Tap your name at the top of the Settings menu
Tap Find My and then Find My iPhone
Toggle Find My iPhone to off
Go back to the Apple ID menu (the one where you first clicked Find My) and scroll down and tap Sign Out

After, you can erase your phone:

Open the Settings app
Tap General
Tap Reset
Tap Erase All Content and Settings

This will completely wipe your phone clean and reset it to its out-of-the-box factory default settings. Once that's done, you are now ready to sell.

Step three: Sell your iPhone

Now you're ready to sell, you have three basic options. Telco trade-in, set up a private sale, or go through a reselling business. Which one you choose will depend on how confident you are using sites like eBay and how much you think you can get through each method. We'll take you through how to work that out next.

Telco trade-in

Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone now all let you trade in your old iPhone for credit toward a new device. The process is fairly similar across all three telcos, but the steps vary a little. For the most part, expect to get a little less if you're trading in your iPhone to a telco than you'd get in a private sale - for example, Telstra will only give you a max of $450 for a 64GB iPhone 11 whereas you should be able to sell one for over $700 - you'll still get money if your phone is damaged.

Telstra

To be eligible for Telstra trade-in, you must be a customer with a postpaid service, and your trade-in value will be applied as credit to your bill within two billing cycles or onto your credit or debit card if you're on an Upfront plan. To trade-in with Telstra, follow these steps:

Sign in to My Telstra on the Telstra website using your Telstra ID
Go to the Services tab, select your account number
Scroll down and click Got an Old Device?
Complete the assessment and you'll receive instructions on how to send in your device

Optus

If you're a new or existing Optus postpaid customer, you can trade your old iPhone for credit toward your plan. It will be applied to either your first or second bill. To do so online, follow these steps:

Select your device on the Optus trade-in website
Enter your details
Post your device using a prepaid satchel

You can also head into an Optus store or request a call back to organise a trade-in.

Vodafone

Vodafone lets you trade an old device for credit toward your Vodafone bill or a new plan. The process involves downloading the Vodafone Trade-In app from the App Store, which will assess the condition of your device. You'll then need to take it to a Vodafone store, where someone will tell you how much it is worth and then help you wipe it if you're happy to go ahead with the trade. You'll need to bring your drivers license. If there's no Vodafone store near you, you can also call Vodafone Customer Care about making a trade.

Private sale

If you don't want to go through a reselling business, eBay is probably your best option for selling your old iPhone.

Begin by searching eBay for other used iPhones of the same generation, model and storage size as yours to find the going rate. You can tick Completed Items and Sold Items under the Show Only section of the left-hand side menu to see what others have been able to sell their device for. At time of writing, 64GB iPhone 11 models have sold for between $500 and $750.

If you're selling via auction, it’s a good idea to set a starting price a bit lower than the current going rate of similar models that already have bids running on them. Sellers should remember that, more than anywhere else, eBay prices are subject to change – and if you're listing an item at low cost hoping to spark a bidding war, you may be disappointed.

When setting up your listing make sure you include your model type, colour, and storage size. "iPhone XS, 64GB, Silver," for example. Try your best to pack your iPhone as you originally bought it, and if you still have the box, use it. If possible, include all the original accessories. If you don't have them, you'll probably need to lower your asking price.

Of course, you can also consider options like Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree.

Use a reseller

If you’d prefer not to roll the dice with strangers and aren't going with a telco, there are websites that will make selling your old iPhone easy. These operations tend to be painless to deal with and are quick to pay once they've received your handset.

How it works is that you visit the site, select your iPhone model, answer some basic questions about the condition of the device, and get a quote. The company then sends you a box to safely post your phone to them. Once they have inspected your handset and ensured it's in the condition you described, you'll receive your money via cheque or direct bank transfer.

These businesses work like pawnshops, and are required to operate like them. That means you'll probably need to send them a photocopy of your I.D. before they can take your old phone.

Here are some of the reputable sites we know about that will exchange your old iPhone for cash. Prices vary across vendors, so it's always worth comparing which site is your best option (and whether you'd be better off trying your luck with eBay).

Mazuma

Mazuma is a trade-in site that will give you actual money for your device, and accepts models as old as the iPhone 6.

You'll need to specify the condition of your phone and Mazuma provides options from "Excellent" condition all the way down to "Dead". Mazuma provides a definition of eachoption and you should be sure to read these carefully.

Once you finish selecting your phone and condition, you'll get a quote from Mazuma. If you choose to accept the quote you'll be sent a return post bag for your phone. Mazuma will deposit money in your account once they receive and inspect your device. Provided your phone is in the condition you described, you'll be paid the full amount.

Mobile Monster

Mobile Monster is another trade-in site. This site currently accepts all models from the iPhone 4 and up, and has three categories for device conditions: As New, Working or Dead.

Like Mazuma, Mobile Monster starts with an initial quote, and then adjusts according to your phone's condition. If you pick Working, you'll be asked to identify any faults with your device, which naturally reduce how much you get paid.

Cashaphone

Cashaphone is yet another trade-in site. Just like the other sites we've discussed, Cashaphone offers cash for your iPhone, and they’ll take devices as old as the 1st generation iPhone SE and the iPhone 6S. Just don't expect too much money for old devices.

Cashaphone has five different device categories: As New, Good, Fair, Faulty, and Dead. Naturally, the better the condition, the more money you'll be offered.

How to get the best price for your old iPhone

If you're looking to get the best price for your iPhone, a private sale is easily your best bet. After all, you can set your own price. It's a little more work than trading in with your telco or going with a website like Mazuma, but it's worth it - especially for newer iPhones.

Naturally, the first step to take is to see if any friends or family members want to buy it off you. If so, you're done. If not, we'd recommend turning to eBay. As we mentioned earlier, it's a good idea to see what other iPhones like yours are selling for, and use that as a guide as to how you list yours. Having the original box and accessories also helps. Just remember to think about postage and eBay's fee (10.9%) when weighing up your option.

No matter what option you take, you'll always get more money for a newer model. In the same vein, if you've got a larger storage model, that also increases what you can get paid. And most importantly, the better the condition of your iPhone, the more you can ask. If you're trying to maximise the resale value of a new iPhone, keep it in a case and use a screen protector to prevent any damage and keep it pristine for when you're ready to let go.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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